Fiberglass or aluminum sides?

I am guessing.. but I would imagine the main reason for TTs being manufactured with fiberglass sides.. is weight.. Anyway.. if you had a choice.. would you prefer fiberglass or an aluminum sided trailer?

My Jayco is the smooth fiberglass.. and it seems to clean really easy. Are the aluminum sides, with the "non flat" surfaces.. harder to clean? There are some JAYCO models I really like.. in the aluminum sides. Are there other advantages to either?

I wonder if it's like siding on a house. Aluminum dents easily, fiberglass can take a punch better? Just a guess. I l also guess that while it likely doesn't really weigh into the decision, you won't go to your RV storage place and find your fiberglass siding stolen and sold for scrap.

A buddy of mine (Yes in Alabama) had his dad's bronze headstone plaque stolen for the scrap value. The cops recovered a bunch of them from a scrap metals dealer. That's just too strange.

Only in Alabama

Coolbreeze1

coolbreeze1 wrote:Only in Alabama

Coolbreeze1

Now you know why I left.

I'm guessing that it is only a matter of taste. My previous tt was aluminum sided and it cleaned up easy.

Coolbreeze1

Our HTT is fiberglass and was easy to clean. One problem around one of the window turned a little black. I like the fiberglass sides better then the aluminum sides. It just looks nicer and clearer even when it isn't washed.

The biggest issue I have seen is delamination. The fiberglass is laminated to luan which is glued to styrene followed by the wallboard. Many trailers have a problem with the fiberglass seperating from the styrene. This is mainly due to water somehow getting in behind the fiberglass (usually around a window or storage door) and decaying the luan. The fiberglass will actually bubble or blister out, especially on a hot day when the air that has gained entry behind the fiberglass has expanded. The fix is extensive and expensive. While it is true water can move behind the aluminum and cause decay, it usually does not deform the aluminum and is much easier to fix. Delamination is a big problem with a lot of TT owners, but it is easier to clean and doesn't dent.